Unbe-leave-able

[Gob]

It's something only Glenn Maxwell could have done.

Australia's perennial risk taker and flamboyant stroke-maker at the top of the order might now lay claim to making the weirdest golden duck of all time.

With the Melbourne Stars losing Cameron White on the fifth ball of the innings and staring down the barrel of an unthinkable third consecutive loss given their their star-studded roster, Maxwell's shot had everyone, commentators included, absolutely befuddled.

Maxwell backed away, looking to go large over a vacant cover region, but made his mind up that Cameron Duffield's delivery was going to miss the off-stump.
Unfortunately for Maxwell, who often draws criticism for his audacious reverse sweeps and ramp shots in white and red ball cricket, a big inswinger cannoned into his leg stump with no iota of defense or attack offered.

The worst part - it was his first ball.

A vociferous Brisbane crowd went beserk, while commentators Adam Gilchrist and Damien Fleming were left scratching their heads at what had just unfolded.

"I'm speechless. I really dont know what to say," Gilchrist said on Channel Ten's broadcast. "That is the most extraordinary dismissal I've ever seen in the game."

With scores of 7 and 12 in the fourth installment of the Big Bash, Maxwell's form of late has come under the microscope and his latest effort will do nothing to subdue the sentiments of cricketing purists who would rather see him play to the situation of the game more often.

Michael Clarke's leave against New Zealand in the 2007 World Cup and Grant Lambert's strange shouldering of arms off the bowling of Shaun Tait in a domestic one-dayer are the only dismissals which come close to Maxwell's brain explosion.

[oldr_n_wsr]

What hapeened? did somebody wake them up?

[MajGenl.Meade]

I never went that tamely. Fielders used to crouch at my feet, almost in the crease, and wait for my first might swing which always resulted in the ball flopping about eight inches forward and into the hands of whichever fool was laying down waiting for it. But at least I swung...

[Lord Jim]

What hapeened? did somebody wake them up?

I can't swear to it oldr, but from the hyperventilating tone of the article it would appear that, against all odds, something did indeed "happen" at a cricket match...

Because of the gibberish used to describe it, it's impossible to tell exactly what happened of course, but the fact that anything happened at all is so unusual that the:

crowd went beserk

[Long Run]

It would be something like Barry Bonds at his best, drug aided or not, watching three straight pitches go down the middle of the plate. But that's just a guess, because, like Jim, I don't speak jiminy crickety.

[Gob]

There was another calamity last night when Moises Henriques was out "hit wicket" off a ball by Yasir Arafat. Silly sod stepped backwards after hitting a clean ball, and trod on his own stumps.

Hit wicket is a method of dismissal in the sport of cricket. This method of dismissal is governed by Law 35 of the laws of cricket. The striker is out "hit wicket" if, after the bowler has entered his delivery stride and while the ball is in play, his wicket is put down by his bat or his person. The striker may do this whilst preparing to receive or receiving a delivery or in setting off for his first run after playing the delivery. In simple language, if the striking batsman knocks the bails off the stumps or uproots the stumps, while attempting to hit the ball or take off for a run, he is out hit wicket.

This method is the sixth most common method of dismissal after caught, bowled, leg before wicket, run out and stumped. It is significantly rarer than any of these, which constitute the five conventional methods, but still much more common than the other five (timed out, handled the ball, obstructing the field, retired out and hit the ball twice), which are extremely rare.

Although a bowler is given credit for the wicket, it is not a method of dismissal that a bowler actively seeks. A batsman may not be given out "hit wicket" if the ball is not actually delivered by the bowler or if the delivery is a no ball.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hit_wicket

[Lord Jim]

was out "hit wicket" off a ball by Yasir Arafat.

I have to say I'm not surprised to learn that a man who's been dead for 10 years can still play on a pro cricket team....

[Gob]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasir_Araf ... icketer%29



He was signed as an overseas player for Sussex for the 2006 season to line-up alongside fellow countrymen Mushtaq Ahmed and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, and helped the team to win the double of the County Championship and the C&G Trophy as well as mount a serious challenge in the Pro40 League. He was signed up to play for Kent in the 2007 season.

The Kent fans seem to have immediately taken to Arafat. At their recent Friends Provident Trophy game against Surrey at The Brit Oval they often chanted of 'There's only one Yasir Arafat', later on, as a pun, 'There's only two Yasir Arafat's'. Others included 'We've nicked your tea towel', also in jest.

[Lord Jim]

I'm sorry, my mistake...

I was thinking of the Yasir Arafat people have actually heard of...

[Long Run]

There was another calamity last night

Let's concede it was a minor tragedy. I guess a "hit wicket" is akin to an "own goal" in soccer, but it has a nice ring to it.

[Gob]

Let's concede it was a minor tragedy. I guess a "hit wicket" is akin to an "own goal" in soccer, but it has a nice ring to it.

I'm winning!! Come to that dark side Long Run.

[Lord Jim]

Fielders used to crouch at my feet, almost in the crease

My, that is close...

[Gob]

The Kent fans seem to have immediately taken to Arafat. At their recent Friends Provident Trophy game against Surrey at The Brit Oval they often chanted of 'There's only one Yasir Arafat', later on, as a pun, 'There's only two Yasir Arafat's'. Others included 'We've nicked your tea towel', also in jest.

No shouts of "racism" yet? How odd

[MajGenl.Meade]

Fielders used to crouch at my feet, almost in the crease

My, that is close...

That's just what the third leg umpire said!